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Newswise — REDLANDS, CA (June 14, 2017)—For the first time since the start of the century-old tradition, the University of Redlands has selected a female pup to be the University’s next live bulldog mascot.

“In 1917, the University embraced the bulldog as the living embodiment of the strength, loyalty and tenacity that drive our success,” said Shelli Stockton, director of alumni and community relations. “Since that time, several special bulldogs have served as our official (and sometimes unofficial) canine ambassadors. In a new and welcome twist to the tradition, our yet-to-be-named female puppy is next in line for that role.”

The nine-week-old brown, white and black pooch will spend the coming academic year shadowing the current official mascot, seven-year-old Thurber, who has mastered the art of posing for “selfies” with members of the University community, wearing the school colors maroon and grey, and inspiring U of R fans and athletes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competitions.

At the end of the school year, the apprentice will assume full mascot duties and Thurber will become mascot emeritus.

The search for the new mascot took several months. “We needed a friendly, confident bulldog puppy who was in good health, comfortable with people, and good with other dogs,” said Mary Littlejohn, who is assistant director of Alumni and Community Relations and the mascot-in-training’s handler. “We reached out to our alumni community and many rescue organizations for help, and finally found the right dog with a lovely family in San Bernardino, who had raised this puppy in their home with their children.”

The name of the new mascot will be determined in a contest, with details still to be announced. However, suggestions are already flooding in—including those that riff off the University’s playful nonsensical chant, Och Tamale (Gazolly and Tamolly), reference the University’s 107-year-old history (Adelaide “Addy” for the wife of University founder Reverend Jasper Newton Field), and highlight the University’s scenic campus (Rosie and Orange Blossom).

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About University of Redlands

The University of Redlands is a private, nonprofit university that connects students to a world of opportunity, geared toward their passions and potential. Centrally located near the beaches, mountains and desert in the heart of Southern California, the University offers more than 40 undergraduate programs, as well as 30 graduate programs in business, communication sciences and disorders, education, geographic information systems and music—blending liberal arts and professional programs, applied and theoretical study, traditional majors and self-designed curricula. For undergraduates, the University has one of the highest study abroad participation rates among its peers; a NCAA Division III athletic program contributes to the many extracurricular opportunities available; students complete more than 120,000 hours of public service annually. The distinctive Johnston Center for Integrative Studies enables self-motivated undergraduates to negotiate their own interdisciplinary course of study with a faculty/peer committee. In addition to an award-winning 160-acre campus in Redlands featuring architectural landmarks and more than 1,700 trees, the University includes seven regional locations, providing innovative programs at convenient places and times for working adults. Surveys show that generations of alumni have found that the University, established in 1907, prepared them well for career success and lifelong learning.